In order to raise awareness of how difficult it is to live with a food allergy Jacqui McPeake, from Allergen Accreditation, invites chefs and caterers (& those with an interest in food!) to eliminate one or more allergens from their diet for 2 weeks.

This will enable the volunteer to understand the daily issues that someone with allergies face. The challenge will highlight the problems going shopping and checking labels for allergens, cooking at home with other family members who do not have any restrictions in their diet and going out to eat at work, a restaurant or bar etc. (And just going out for a drink!)

The challenge will help those within the catering industry to appreciate the problems that customers with food allergies face.

At Inhouse Manager, we understand the difficulties faced by those with allergies, and also the challenges faced by caterers in providing safe food for sufferers. Our catering software automatically identifies and report on the 14 legislated allergens across your ingredients, recipes and menus. For more information on how our software can support caterers please get in touch

In order to gain an insight into participants experiences during the 2 weeks challenge participants are invited to share these with Allergen Accreditation.

Once the #onemcpeakechallenge has concluded the team at Allergen Accreditation will analyse all feedback, blog posts and social media to produce a report highlighting the learning outcomes from participants. The report will contain experiences and highlights of the challenge but will not refer to the names of participants.

THE ONE MCPEAKE CHALLENGE:

Remove one or more of the key 14 allergens for a 2 week period.

Visit local supermarkets and smaller shops to purchase appropriate foods suitable for your chosen allergen challenge and remember to look for may contain and made in a factory with!

Dine out at least once and ask about your chosen allergen!

If you managed to order a takeaway, what was your experience?

Feedback any difficulties you experience e.g. taking a packed lunch to work, finding snacks to eat, eating with family members.

Feedback reactions of family, colleagues etc.

If working in the industry, feedback the response from your colleagues.

Feedback any learning from the challenge. What did you learn from the experience if anything?

Will you do anything differently as a result of #onemcpeakechallenge ?

The money raised from this campaign will go STRAIGHT to The Anaphylaxis Campaign. During their conference taking place on 18th September 2018 the amount raised up to that point will be announced. The final amount raised will be publicised on social media.

At Inhouse Manager, we will all be choosing one allergen to avoid during the two week challenge – we’ll let you know how we get on!

Here at Inhouse Manager, we don’t just write great software – we’re also procurement specialists. During our 20 years of experience, we’ve seen it all – good and bad!

Good procurement is a time consuming task, and one that often gets overlooked, potentially costing organisations thousands of pounds each year. Being able to keep abreast of pricing changes from multiple suppliers can be difficult – people get into the habit of ordering ‘that particular fish’ or ‘those potatoes’ and don’t have the time to ensure they’re using the best or most cost effective options. Quite often, the realisation that there has been a jump in prices is when the invoice lands on the desk – and at this point the food has been eaten so there’s no choice but to pay up!

How often do we find that deals have been done on particular products, but that only half of the organisation are utilising the correct product code? The common problem of rounding up when ordering, ending up with excess ingredients that usually end up being wasted. All too often, I’m afraid!

Changing suppliers often leaves people cold – “we’ve always used them” is not always a great reason to stay faithful. We’re not suggesting a change for changes sake – but regular bench-marking checks should be carried out to ensure that you are still receiving good pricing – but who has time for that?

At Inhouse Manager, we offer a fully managed service that sees us procuring your ingredients on your behalf, and you simply pay a fixed price per person per day. You won’t lose control – if you want to stay with your local butcher that’s absolutely fine – that’s where we’ll buy your meat from. We take the risk of managing the cost of the ingredients within that fixed price so you don’t have to. We also manage the input of all the information into the software to save you more time, and meet with you every couple of weeks to ensure the service is running smoothly.

Using our software and our relationships with both national and local suppliers, we ensure you receive the ingredients you want, when you want them.

For more information about our services, please contact us to discuss your needs with a member of our team.

In this recipe, charred sweet potatoes are flavoured with za’tar and combined with spring onions, lambs lettuce and feta to make a salad that’s hearty enough for a midweek dinner. Don’t worry if you can’t get hold of any za’tar – you can replace with an equal mixture of dried thyme an sesame seeds.

Method

Put the whole sweet potatoes in a large pan of salted boiling water and cook for about 20 minutes until tender but still firm.

Drain, slice into 1cm discs and put in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the 1 tablespoon za’tar. Turn gently to coat.

Put a griddle pan over a high heat until smoking. Brush the spring onions with olive oil, then griddle for 1-2 minutes on each side until char lines appear (you might need to do this in batches). Add the charred sweet potatoes to the bowl with the spring onions.

To make the dressing, mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic, cider vinegar and half a tablespoon of za’tar. Add the lamb’s lettuce, feta and toasted pumpkin seeds to the griddles veg, then toss together with the dressing.

Harbour House in Bridport is a Quaker residential care home located in beautiful grounds with seaside and harbour views. It is home to 35 residents, and also provides short break rooms for individuals or couples. The home opened in 1964.

Shane Affleck, Head Chef, takes a very fluid approach to catering for the residents, preferring not to stick rigidly to a menu, but instead tries to provide as much variety as possible using seasonal produce.

Every day, families and friends join residents to enjoy a three course lunch.

Prior to working with Inhouse Manager, Shane was spending valuable time organising and placing orders with suppliers and then checking multiple invoices each week.

Looking at how Shane prefers to operate, we recommended that Harbour House use our Procurement Only service, which would still give Shane the freedom to order what he wants, when he wants – but now this is done electronically, and we take care of the submission of orders and any issues with ingredients or deliveries. Because of our collaborative procurement, we were able to save them over 15% on their food costs. And as we pay all of the supplier invoices, Harbour House now only receives a single weekly invoice from Inhouse Manager – saving both time and money.

Shane Affleck, Head Chef, says:

Inhouse Managers’ ordering works wonders for me, I save so much valuable time using their quick and simple service. The team are always on hand and will go the extra mile every time to help. My only regret is that I didn’t find out about them sooner!

If you would like to find out more about the services we offer to the catering industry, please contact us on 0333 123 6987 and we’ll be happy to discuss your needs.

Smoked haddock and leeks is a classic combination, but when baked together in a creamy sauce and buttery pastry it makes a wonderful dinner party starter or light lunch.

Serves 4

Hands on time 30 minutes

Oven time 40-45 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

30g butter

2 leeks, sliced

Glug dry white wine

100ml fresh chicken or veg stock

4 fresh thyme sprigs

2 medium free range eggs, beaten

100g half fat creme fraiche

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

50g strong cheddar, grated

200g smoked haddock, skinned and cut into even 2cm chunks

For the Pastry:

200g plain flour, plus extra to dust

Large pinch of cayenne pepper, plus a little extra to dust

100g butter, cut into cubes

1 free range egg yolk, beaten

4.5 tablespoons cold water

You’ll also need … 4 x 10cm loose bottomed fluted tart tins

Method

Make the pastry by whizzing the flour, cayenne, butter and some salt and pepper in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. (If you don’t have a food processor, mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl, rubbing the butter with your fingers). Add the egg yolk and gradually pulse / mix in the cold water until the dough just starts to come together (you may not need it all). Tip out onto cling film. Chill for 30 minutes.

Melt the 30g butter in a deep frying pan and gently cook the leeks, white wine, stock and thyme for 15-20 minutes until the leeks are tender and the liquid has reduced. Discard the thyme sprigs and set the pan aside.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees C / 180 degrees C fan / gas mark 6.

Divide the chilled pastry into 4 equal pieces and roll out on a lightly floured work surface. Line each tart case with pastry, pressing into the edges / flutes, then trim and prick the bases all over with a fork. Line with non stick baking paper and fill with baking beans and chill for 10-15 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for 5-10 minutes until the pastry feels sandy.

Mix the eggs with the creme fraiche, chives, cheddar and seasoning in a small bowl. Divide the leeks and smoked haddock evenly among the tart cases and place on a baking tray. Divide the egg mixture equally among the tarts and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and set.

This baked eggs recipe is made in just one pan, and is perfect for lunch, brunch or a meat free evening supper.

Serves 2

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

400g floury potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

200g mixed mushrooms

1 garlic clove

100g baby spinach

4 tbsp gruyere

2 medium free range eggs

Large pinch of chilli flakes

Method

Heat the oven to 220 degrees C / fan 200 degrees C / gas mark 7.

Cut the potatoes into 2-3cm chunks. Put in a large ovenproof frying pan, season and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 12 minutes.

Cut the mushrooms into quarters, chop the garlic, then toss them through the potatoes. Roast for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and stir in the spinach until it has wilted in the heat from the pan.

Grate in the Gruyere, then, using the back of a spoon, make 2 hollows in the vegetables. Crack the eggs into the hollows. Season with salt and chilli flakes.

Return to the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes until the eggs are just set.

We are delighted to announce that Inhouse Manager has become an Allied member of the FCSI UK&Ireland.

The FCSI is a professional association which sets the highest standards for food service consultants. Their members offer the most professional, independent catering and food service consultancy.

FCSI can help with a wide ranging choice of services, from specifying catering equipment, designing a new kitchen, restaurant or retail food concept, to catering management consultancy including hygiene, food service strategy, bench marking, menu planning, project management or tendering to find the right contractor.

FCSI offers consultancy to all types of caterer large or small, from restaurants, cafes, golf and sports clubs, retail units and hotels, to hospitals, food manufacturing units, staff, student and public feeding facilities for government and private sector.

Anita Carthew, Business Development Director, said ‘As an Allied member, Inhouse Managers’ catering software and procurement services will compliment the services already offered by FCSI members, and we look forward to forging new relationships in the months and years ahead’

For more information about our catering software solutions please contact us

Time for a tasty pudding for this month’s recipe of the month – this salted caramel tart doesn’t just look fantastic, it tastes completely delicious!

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

250 g plain

30 g powdered almonds

150 g butter, cold, cut into cubes

80 g sugar

1 egg

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch powdered vanilla

For the salted caramel sauce:

70 g sugar

70 ml heavy cream

1 teaspoon butter

pinch of salt

For the chocolate cream:

500 ml heavy cream

350 g dark chocolate

For the whipped cream:

300 ml double cream, very cold

2 tablespoons sugar

Optional: unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Method

Prepare the crust. Whizz all the ingredients in a food processor to a dough. Wrap the dough and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out the pastry and line a deep 24-26 cm tart tin with it; patch any holes if crumbly. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 ºF. Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake about 25 minutes.

Transfer to a rack and let cool.

Prepare the caramel sauce. Place sugar a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Look for the caramel to turn a rich amber colour, then remove pan from heat and whisk in butter and cream (the mixture will bubble up, so be careful!). Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate 1 hour

Prepare the chocolate cream. Chop the chocolate. Bring heavy cream to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in the hot cream. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate 24 hours

Before serving, prepare the whipped cream. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream with the sugar until firm. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the pie and dust with some cocoa powdered if desired.

For February, we thought this simple, warming dish would be just the job – lamb and chunky vegetables slowly cooked in a stock flavoured with cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and mixed herbs – it doesn’t get tastier than this!

Serves 4

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 7-8 hours

Ingredients

900g lean lamb fillets or leg steaks, all visible fat removed

200g baby carrots, peeled and halved

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

400g can chopped tomatoes

4 baby courgettes, halved lengthways and quartered

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

4 cloves

200ml lamb stock

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker pot, season and stir.

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on MEDIUM or until the meat is tender.

Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and serve garnished with chopped parsley.